Robin and Ross continued with their original plan, moving from town to town across the island of Kraikana, visiting every settlement where people still managed to survive amid years of ceaseless war.
In each town, Ross would reveal her identity, raising her voice as a princess to expose the truth about Heina's real nature.
But just like in every other city they had passed through, the people of this war-torn island, shrouded in darkness, already held deep resentment toward the "traitor" Princess Ross. Hearing her "slander" the benefactor they revered, Heina, only enraged them further.
If not for Robin's calm presence at her side, Ross would have been torn apart by the furious crowd more than once.
Even now, countless hateful, angry voices still echoed in her ears.
Ross closed her eyes tightly, cradling the green Den Den Mushi in her arms, and sighed softly.
Robin placed a hand on the girl's head and gazed into the distance. "It's about time. We can head to the royal capital now."
"Mm…" Ross opened her eyes and spoke quietly. "Robin-sis… tell me, why does the Decay-Decay Fruit make everyone like this? The people of Kraikana Island, the Sikeal Kingdom… they weren't always like this…"
Robin thought for a moment, then replied, "Liam and I once studied the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia."
Ross looked up at her, surprised.
"Liam noticed something interesting about it," Robin continued with a faint smile. "The Fruits are arranged in a pattern. Fruits with related abilities, higher and lower tiers, are always listed close together, rarely far apart.
"For example, the Magu Magu no Mi (Magma-Magma Fruit) and its lower-tier Mera Mera no Mi (Flame-Flame Fruit) are right next to each other. The Weapon Fruit and its subtypes, like the Guns-Guns Fruit and the Slash-Slash Fruit, are also grouped on adjacent pages.
"Liam believed it's because their powers share the same underlying principles. So, by studying that pattern, we can sometimes deduce the nature of an unknown Devil Fruit."
Ross took that in thoughtfully. "So then… the Decay-Decay Fruit…"
"If I remember correctly," Robin said, touching her chin, "the pages near the Decay-Decay Fruit included the Venom-Venom Fruit, the Rust-Rust Fruit, the Ito Ito no Mi (String-String Fruit), and the Ghost Fruit.
"The Venom-Venom Fruit is clearly its direct upper-tier counterpart. But the other Paramecia Fruits can also help us infer its characteristics.
"The Decay-Decay Fruit's 'corruption sickness,' as you call it, seems similar to the Venom-Venom and Rust-Rust Fruits, it produces toxins that erode living bodies.
"And as for the Ghost Fruit, the encyclopedia actually gives its full name as the Negative-Negative Ghost Fruit. So it's likely that the Decay-Decay Fruit, listed right beside it, affects the human mind in a similar way… a kind of mental corrosion, pushing people toward despair and hatred."
"Negative… ghost…" Ross murmured to herself.
…
After discussing Heina's Devil Fruit for a while atop the rooftop, the two set off again, heading straight toward the island's center, where the royal capital stood.
Along the way, Ross, recalling Heina's strange words earlier, couldn't help but ask, "Robin-sis, do you think Heina… might actually be a man?"
Robin chuckled. "There are all kinds of people in this world."
A question mark seemed to pop over Ross's head, she clearly didn't understand.
"There's a woman named Hancock," Robin said, playfully pinching Ross's smooth cheek. "If you ever meet her, you'll understand. Even if you're a girl, you can't resist her charm."
"R-Really…?" Ross blinked in confusion. "Then… Robin-sis, you too? You also feel that way about Hancock?"
Robin laughed softly. "Maybe I do. After all, it's Hancock."
Ross couldn't quite grasp it through words alone, but another thought soon struck her. "If even you, as a woman, can't resist her charm… then what about Liam-nii?"
The moment the words left her mouth, Ross clapped a hand over it in panic.
Even in her innocence, she could tell there was something special between Robin and Liam.
Robin just tapped her gently on the head and summed it up in one sentence:
"After all… it's Hancock."
…
Inside the royal capital's palace fortress, Palace guards rushed in with urgent news. "Your Majesty, unrest has broken out in the royal capital again!"
The King, weary in both body and soul, waved a tired hand. "Let them do as they please…" he sighed.
"But, Your Majesty," the guard pressed, "it's said that Princess Ross has appeared!"
"...Ross?"
The King's expression shifted. The brief flicker of fatherly affection on his face was immediately replaced by hatred. "What is she doing back here?"
He walked to the window, gazing out at the chaos spreading through the royal city. Supporting his forehead, pain clouded his eyes. "I'll just pretend… I never had a daughter."
"Father."
A familiar voice suddenly spoke from behind him.
The guard jumped in shock, immediately drawing his sword to stand before the King, only to see Princess Ross herself standing there, tears glistening in her eyes, looking at her father with sorrow.
"Ross!" the King cried out. "You… who is that with you?!"
Beside Ross stood a tall woman with streaked hair, calm-faced yet radiating an overwhelming pressure.
The palace guard broke into a cold sweat, his voice trembling. "It's Robin…! Grand Duchess Heina was right, Princess Ross really has allied herself with pirates!"
"Father…" Ross said, heartbroken. "Have you forgotten? It was you who sent me away that day…"
"...What?!" The King's face twisted in disbelief, then anger. "Nonsense! You betrayed us, how could I have been the one to send you away? That's impossible…"
He muttered to himself, gripping his head in pain. "Yes… I sent you away. You, the traitor… I exiled you, left you to your fate… But as your father, how could I… how could I do that…?"
His mind seemed to unravel before their eyes. Suddenly, he snatched the guard's sword and pressed it to his own throat.
"Father!" Ross screamed.
Robin had already anticipated such a moment. The instant she met the King, she had secretly made contact using her Flower-Flower Fruit (Hana Hana no Mi) ability.
With a thought, she created a small copy of the King's heart somewhere unseen, and tore it apart in an instant.
The stabbing pain in his chest made the King cry out miserably, the sword clattering from his trembling hand.
Ross ran forward in panic, but the palace guard shouted and moved to block her. Robin stepped in to intercept.
Even without using her Devil Fruit power, Robin was no frail woman. She was, after all, once a Princess of Amazon Lily. One solid punch sent the guard staggering back.
The staggering guard was suddenly caught by a single hand.
Robin's pupils contracted. A woman in a white cloak had appeared behind the guard without a sound. Beneath her hood was a stern face marked by a sword scar.
"Robin," she said coolly, "I didn't expect you'd actually come."
Rasha lifted the palace guard effortlessly and hurled him at Robin like a stone.
…
Meanwhile, in the forest, A violent shockwave tore through the woods like a roaring dragon, carving a massive chasm through the ground.
"Hah…"
Coyatel's broad chest rose and fell heavily; that last attack had drained a good deal of her stamina.
A full-power strike from the Shock-Shock Fruit had even warped the air itself, twisting it under the sheer force of the blast.
But from within that searing, distorted air, a burning, muscular arm suddenly thrust out, grabbing Coyatel's face before she could react.
(End Of This Chapter)
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